Jacques Van der Merwe Scuplture Garden

You are welcome to view bronze sculptures exploring the human condition in the artist’s sculpture garden. Please remember this is private property, so respect the place and please don’t wander past the sculpture garden into the private residence.

Jacques Van der Merwe’s art includes oil on canvas. The artist paints portraits and other topics. The art paintings are on large scale, oil is applied impasto.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I moved to Australia early in 2008. My family and I left South Africa because of crime and the diminishing opportunities there. Although the process was worthwhile, I was surprised by the complexity of the physical and emotional processes of migration. When I speak to other people, I realised that immigration is a life-changing experience for all people involved.

I decided to make an ongoing artwork concerning what people experience during immigration. The exhibition will consist of different nationalities living in Australia today. I believe this artwork is relevant in Australia, because of the quantity of immigrants who live here, and are still moving here.

In this project I paint not just immigrants, but also refugees. The likeness between the two groups is surprising. Both nd it not just dif cult to adapt to Australian society, but also feel that Australia is a lovely place to live in.